Grant application law 'in 18 month limbo'

THE law needed to place statutory time limits on student grant applications has been stuck in limbo for more than 18 months. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) repeated warnings this week that hundreds of students are being forced to drop out of college because delays in grant payments mean they can't afford rents or college registration. The delays in the processing of grants by Vocational Education Committees (VECs) and local councils, which are restricted by staffing limits imposed by a recruitment ban, have been acknowledged by Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe.

But the Student Support Bill published by his predecessor Mary Hanafin early last year was due to have passed responsibility for all grants to VECs and set timeframes within which grant applications should be finalised. The bill was designed to speed up the process for students and streamline the whole application system.

It was introduced in February 2008 and passed second stage in the Dáil in April last year, but it has not yet been considered by the Select Committee on Education and Science because amendments required by legal difficulties are being considered by the Attorney General's office.

The number of students eligible for maintenance grants is expected to pass 60,000 this year, in light of the increased numbers of unemployed and households on reduced incomes compared to a year ago.